


She's Coming Home

by Zuhelle



Category: Guardians of Childhood - William Joyce, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: AU, Angst, Family Fluff, Fanfiction of a Fanfiction, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 12:42:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21817201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zuhelle/pseuds/Zuhelle
Summary: A fanfic AU Epilogue of not_poignant’s fanfiction series: Shadows and Light. (Into Shadows We Fall / From Darkness We Rise.)Pitch, Jack, the Guardians, the Fae Courts… If not all of the world was at peace now, finally recovered from the Hell it had endured the past few years.But a chill is in the air after the silent Tsar had spoken to our poor spirits once more; perhaps even one final time:“She’s coming”.The warning of this mysterious woman is headed with fear, but unbeknownst to everyone…it never was a warning at all.
Relationships: Jack Frost/Pitch Black
Kudos: 24





	She's Coming Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [not_poignant](https://archiveofourown.org/users/not_poignant/gifts).
  * Inspired by [From the Darkness We Rise](https://archiveofourown.org/works/642848) by [not_poignant](https://archiveofourown.org/users/not_poignant/pseuds/not_poignant). 

> *Blows a kiss to not_poignant and their glorious fiction*  
Your works are awesome, and I hope you don’t mind me scooting in with a fanfiction of your fanfiction sdjghdfkjjfkljg  
Pitch’s past and his family’s fates were sorta left in the air…. (a dark...air…. Mind you)  
Anndddd I’m a sucker for fluff who wants closure and maybe OC happiness so sue me or have fun reading this little one-shot sjdf;dkjgkdjflk

The lighthouse in the distance sparkled in the morning sunrise, birds beautifully chirped as they flew from tree to tree; and the world seemed as peaceful as it ever was. 

Pitch closed is golden eyes, and breathed deep, relishing the fresh crisp air. 

It’s been quite a few years since the incident with the Nain Rouge and Augus Each Uisge. Jack’s trauma has calmed significantly, and Pitch had finally adjusted to his life acquainted with Guardians and Fae alike. 

To his amusement, the Fae sometimes held seasonal balls that allowed those among the counsel to bring a guest. 

Jack Frost was widely considered half-fae himself, but no one would dare invite the white-haired menace after the tricks he’d pulled. Pitch had brought him along so he wouldn’t feel bored, and Jack wouldn’t be alone. When they got there, they were showered in greetings and praise wherever the turned. It was so overwhelming that Pitch had simply dragged Jack onto the dancefloor to escape the crowds that hounded them. 

Jack sputtered, embarrassed by the fact he didn’t know how to ball-room dance. He was so worried he’d step on Pitch’s feet that he looked downward the entire time. Pitch laughed at Jack’s concentration, his face so serious and brows so scrunched. It really was unlike him to wear such an expression. 

The food was sickeningly gourmet. Pitch quite enjoyed it, while Jack didn’t understand the appeal. After the main events of the party were over with, the two became quite bored. It was then Jack decided to activate his mischief for the day as he grabbed some napkins from the tabletop. 

Pitch and Jack snickered in the corner, most people unbeknownst to the soft cloth sticking out of their pockets and backs of their shoes. A certain someone DID notice however, and Pitch and Jack were chased out of the ballroom with a seething Gywn hot on their trail. 

The two escaped through the shadows, their laughter trailing behind them. 

Jack swears he saw the tall blonde hide a smile under his dressy scarf, and Pitch didn’t object knowing that poor man must have thought balls were a drip, the same thoughts he and Jack shared. 

Things have been good with the Guardians too. Pitch visits Tooth and North often, and receives weekly greetings from Sandman as he passes by. He and Bunny are still stiff-shouldered around each other, but the two are attempting to converse and slowly easing the tension held between them. 

Jack has gotten back into his routine when it came to children. He juggles between Jamie’s family and the surviving school girl, and so many other new friends he’s made. 

His friendship with the Guardians has smoothed over, and his relationship with Pitch has strengthened. 

Pitch was excited to see Jack attempting to utilize the bookshelves he created in his icy home. The two often spent a lot of their days back-to-back, or one in the other’s lap, calmly reading away as the day went by. It was the most innocent and relaxing thing they could do, yet Jack had found it rather intimate. Bunny often teased him about how “domesticated” the two have become. 

Pitch hadn’t asked to see Seraphina’s illusion since that day many years ago, to Jack’s relief. But it was obvious her absence and the lack of closure still hurt him greatly. 

Jack could feel just a touch of empathy at that pain, after his sacrifice for his sister, and the abrupt end of Jamie’s life. The two most important people in his life that he couldn’t say goodbye to. It really leaves a hole in your soul. 

But they all deal with their pain in different ways. And the bonds they share strengthen their spirit to fight that despair even more so. 

As for the Man in the Moon, the Guardians have not heard from him since. 

Jack and Pitch, after discussing the likelihood of his slow decay, along with their personal experience, they expected to never hear from the Tsar again. 

But they were wrong.

~~~~ 

** _“...She’s... coming.” _ **

Jack and Pitch stiffened. Their eyes widened, and the hair on the back of their necks stood on end. The Frost spirit launched himself up from where he sat, discarding the heroic book he was reading on the snowy floor of Kostroma. Pitch followed, standing tall; mouth agape as he stared at the round, white rock in the sky. 

“What?!” Jack said, his eyes unblinking as he stared at the moon. He felt his heart rate increase, his frost started crackling within his palm. The last time he had heard from the moon…. Jamie was…. 

_ “WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?!”  _

Jack gasped, his breathing abnormal as the two waited for a response they both knew wouldn’t come. The frost spirit cursed and whirled around, marching his way to the house where his staff laid inside. 

“Jack, wait-” Pitch reached out to stop him, his voice shockingly calm. 

The young spirit said nothing as he yanked open the door, his hand making contact with his shimmering staff. 

Just as quickly as he came in, he had rushed out past Pitch. 

“Jack-” 

He readied his staff, about to jump into the air- 

“JACK!” 

Skinny hands gripped his shoulders and pulled him backwards. He was spun around to come face to face with Pitch, whose eyes betrayed his facade of serenity. 

“Jack, please calm down. Where are you going?!” 

The frost spirit spit venomous fear with his every word. “To North’s. We need to warm them.” 

“Warn them?” Pitch asked, taken aback by the statement. 

“Yes!” Jack shouted. “You heard it too, right? I’m not going insane, right? That’s undeniably him. You said he was too weak to talk again!” 

“I said it was likely, and yes, I heard him too. But Jack… that…. His voice was… even you could tell he’s dying.” 

Jack sighed, his eyes darting to the ground as his frame shook with tension. “If he really had so little power left… he’s warning us about SOMETHING. He said… he said-.... He said “SHE is coming.” Someone is coming for us. Are we sure he said, “she”? What if we misheard him and it was “he”? No… he- We need to let the Guardians know, we need to let GYWN know-” 

Pitch blinked, incredibly relieved Jack actually had a plan, and that the first step was to tell everyone what was going on. Past Jack would have suffered alone, keeping everything to himself. To see him reaching out made the raven-haired man so proud. 

“Who is this ‘she’?! Is it- it must be the Nain Rouge. Damn her, she said she’d give us a head-start but it’s only been four years! I should have known she’d lie….” 

Jack’s mind was reeling, his teeth were practically chattering with how much he was shaking. 

Pitch blinked and took the young spirit’s face in his hands. 

“Jack, breathe with me… remember our exercises?” 

Jack nodded, his heart still hammering in his chest. 

The two closed their eyes and breathed in as they counted the seconds in their heads before exhaling. 

This seemed to calm Jack down just a pinch to Pitch’s relief. He was not prepared for the onslaught of headaches he knew he’d receive again from here onward, but he would endure. 

“Right. North.” 

Pitch held out his hand for Jack to take, and the two made their way into the house, only to disappear into the shadows in the corner. 

~~~

“Manny said?” North asked, his voice a hoarse whisper at the news. 

Jack and Pitch nodded, confirming the disturbing warning. 

North stroked his beard, grumbling as he thought to himself. 

The large man must admit, he just about jumped out of his boots when Jack and Pitch tumbled out of the shadows so distraught. Jack had shouted to call a meeting, and North asked no questions. 

After the Northern Lights were sent out, he knew the other Guardians would arrive any minute now. But his curiosity was satisfied before he could press further. 

Jack and Pitch spilled their story, and re-explained everything to them once the other Guardians arrived. 

“The Nain Rouge, you say? Are you sure?” Tooth asked, her wings fluttering faster with uncertainty. 

“Who else could it be?” Jack asked aloud. “She’s the only one it could be. Gulvi is ruling the Seelie Court with Ash, it couldn’t be her, she has no time to mess with us…” 

Pitch shook his head. “Yes, I too doubt it’s her, but I also don’t think it’s wise to pin all focus on the Nain Rouge.” 

Bunny, to everyone’s surprise, nodded in agreement. “Yeah, mate. Jumping to conclusions may be a mistake. I’ve had my fair share of that lesson for many years now.” 

Jack bit his bottom lip as he wrung his hands. 

Sandy floated up beside him and gave him a small pat on the back. The two exchanged a small smile at the show of comfort. 

“Have you alerted Gwyn, yet?” North asked, looking to Pitch. 

Jack’s flute had long since disintegrated. Pitch was the only connection the Guardians had to the Fae world now. 

“No, not yet. Though I’m certain if he had encountered any danger, I would be the first to know about it.” 

Everyone in the room seemed to sigh, unsure of what to do. 

Bunny stood up and stretched to release the tension in the room. 

“Welp. If it’s the Nain Rouge, I’ll keep an ear out for when and where she strikes first. Otherwise, not much we can do.” 

Tooth nodded as she shifted her position in the air. 

“Agreed. I’ve got my fairies all over the globe. I’ll know the second I’m missing one.” 

North stood, wanting to be part of the supportive action. “And perhaps I take the sleigh for ride. Get’s rusty if left in the shop for too long.” The big Cosack winked at Jack playfully. 

Sandy gave Jack and Pitch a thumbs up to show his support as well. 

Jack nodded, a little more assured knowing the Guardians can now act as his neighborhood watch service. 

Yet still he knew he wouldn’t rest until he found out what the Tsar’s words mean. 

Jack stood as well, his legs itching for a run. 

“I’ll be doing a couple morning shifts then, to try and spot any suspicious activity.” 

Pitch was not pleased to hear Jack was most likely going to be away, searching on his own. He’ll need to keep his fear senses obtuse to pick up on any raised distress from the Frost spirit just in case. 

“The remnants of shadow left in my soul have been tied to the Nain Rouge for a while, so I'm quite attuned to the feel of her presence. I’ll alert you if I sense anything.” 

Pitch stood as well, walking over to stand next to Jack. 

“In the meantime, Jack and I will go warn Gywn of this turn of events. If he knows anything, we’ll send haste.” 

With that, the two once more disappeared into the shadows.

~~~ 

** _“She’s coming?”_ ** Gywn repeated, mulling over the words carefully. 

“We think it may be the Nain Rouge, but we have no evidence to support this.” Pitch stated. 

Gywn nodded. “It’s good you came to me about this first instead of announcing it officially to the court.” 

“I figured it would cause panic.” Pitch stated. Either that, or they’d laugh at him for such an empty warning from the dying moon. 

Jack shifted uncomfortably behind Pitch, every now and then glancing up at Gywn to see his expression. 

Gywn sighed as he brushed off debris from his clothes. “Unfortunately, there’s no sustenance behind this warning. All I can do is keep my eyes peeled and heighten our security for the coming month.” 

Pitch nodded in agreement. This truly was all they could do. The lack of control was getting to Jack, as his toes twitched and curled amongst the floor. 

Gywn finally made eye-contact with Jack for the first time that evening. “Jack…” 

The spirit in question snapped his head up at the call of his name. 

“It’s…. It’s going to be okay.” 

Pitch and Jack blinked. Was Gywn actually showing … concern? And actually offering words of comfort? 

Out of all the things that could have happened today, that was the furthest likely to occur. 

An awkward smile graced Jack’s face. “Uh… thanks… but...-” 

“I don’t know how to tell you this, but Jack…. Sometimes I can just… feel it in the wind.” 

A faraway look crossed his features; Pitch and Jack had never seen Gwyn so calm. 

“The Tsar’s warning is indeed disturbing, but…. I can’t say I feel a disturbance in the air just yet.” 

Pitch noted Jack’s breathing seemed to calm a tad at Gywn’s words. 

“But don’t misunderstand; I won’t drop my guard. I’ll keep tabs on any known hide-outs of the Nain Rouge. The court no doubt would have her apprehended immediately should we sight her.” 

Pitch’s shoulders slumped with relief that Gwyn seemed to be reasonable about the situation. 

“Thank you, Gwyn. We will keep in touch.” 

The blonde nodded, and returned to his duties. 

Pitch took Jack back to Kostroma, but managed to snag his arm before he could take off. 

“Jack, you’re not going out tonight.” 

The spirit in questioned turned to glare at the boogieman. 

“Look at yourself. You can barely keep your eyes open. You of all people know that diving headfirst into trouble when you’re this tired-” 

“Yeah, yeah, okay…” Jack said, interrupting Pitch as he slumped forward into his chest, eliciting a final sigh. 

“...okay.” 

~~~~~~ 

Five long days have passed. Nothing had changed. 

There were sightings of the Nain Rouge, but there wasn’t any further mischief reported from her actions. But Fae and Guardian alike didn’t want her to know she was being watched, for they might provoke her to attack them earlier than she had stated she would. 

Not that her word was very clear or sound to begin with… 

Jack’s fears have since quieted down, but he was still very apprehensive. Pitch was calm, for he simply knew mulling over the infinite answers to the Tsar’s warning was a pointless loop of worry. 

The two portrayed this very attitude quite well in the present with their actions. 

Pitch was rocking gently in his chair whilst he read old tales of haunted forests, and Jack was peering out the window sketching frost patterns into the glass. 

Gold eyes flickered to the young spirit, pondering if Jack….dare say it, was bored without this action. 

But could anyone really blame him? 

The Moon’s warnings were typically quite quick to come to fruition. It was only the morning after that Jack had received word of Guardianship to be bestowed upon him. And it was mere minutes before Jamie of all people died. 

But five long days… almost a full week since the Tsar’s warning… no further words, no sign of any trouble of any kind in the entire globe… 

It didn’t sit right at all. 

It felt like there was a rock in Jack’s stomach at the mere thought of it. 

But after a full week of nothing, worrying became too exhausting. He hated himself for it, but…. He truly was calming down. 

Pitch sighed as he clapped his book shut and set it down on the dresser beside him. 

He got up from the chair and wrapped his arms around Jack’s neck to pull him close. 

“I think I’d like to accumulate more books for my shelf. I should only be a moment. Would you like to come with?” 

Jack thought for a moment, not wanting to be alone, but at the same time…. He didn’t really want to leave. He was quite peaceful for the first time that week, just sitting...sketching away… 

“No, I’m good. I’ll see you in 5.” 

“I might be 10 if there’s a particular cover that catches my eye…” 

Jack laughed. “I swear, you’re such a bookworm.” 

A deep chuckle ruptured from Pitch’s throat. He placed his lips upon Jack’s cheek before he vanished into darkness. 

Jack smiled affectionately before returning to his work in the window. 

It was surprisingly calm outside today. Usually Jack’s emotions made the weather quite brutal, but shockingly, it was calm. 

Maybe he was a lot more in control of his emotions than he thought he was. 

Jack blinked. 

His ice patterns went off course. They slowly started going up the window instead of to the left-

Jack stepped back from the window, confused. 

The wind outside started to pick up violently. But he wasn’t afraid at the moment, was he? His heart was beating fast, but the panic wasn’t….. 

The snow was swirling in strange, foreign ways that Jack had never seen before. Some of it was dispersing, revealing wet grass that had stayed hidden for so many weeks… 

It was as if the wind no longer responded to him. 

Jack’s heart pounded loudly in his ears, as if his whole world was turned upside down… 

Gwyn’s words echoed in his mind. 

** _“I can feel it in the wind…” _ **

Something about the way frost dust swirled along the crusty surface… Something in the way thr leaves chattered amongst each other as the winds passed them by…

Jack needed to be here, in Kostroma. 

Something was coming. 

Someone was coming. 

Jack leapt for his staff. There was a swirling blizzard outside; fearful flakes surrounding the wooden house as if to cage it. 

Then, a beat, and the snow dispersed. 

The sun shone brightly outside, the clouds making way for the blue atmosphere… and the grass seemed to have grown an inch from where it was merely a second ago… 

Jack narrowed his eyes, his face of shock and confusion from what he had just witnessed outside the window….

What just- 

  
  


** _KNOCK _ **

** _KNOCK _ **

** _KNOCK _ **

Jack’s knuckles turned white at how harshly he gripped his staff. His teeth clenched and his eyes went wide. 

Someone was at the door. 

** _“She’s coming...” _ **

Pitch wasn’t here. Jack would have to face whoever was behind that door…. Alone. 

He could only hope the fear he felt in that moment would reach Pitch, reach SOMEONE for help… 

But he couldn’t ignore the pull of curiosity. The sense that whatever was behind that door would be the answer to the final warning the Tsar left for him. This was his chance at closure. And unlike every other destiny or warning the Tsar had given him…. He would not back away from this one. 

Jack slowly approached the door, his staff at the ready…. The door was still intact, so that’s a good sign. Blast Pitch for not having a front window so he could see…. 

Jack licked his lips nervously. 

He took a deep breath, and decided to speak. 

“....Who’s there?” 

There was silence on the other side of the door. It lasted two seconds.. Three seconds… four seconds… five- 

“Hello?” 

Jack was taken aback. It was definitely a woman behind that door. The voice was low in key, but undoubtedly it belonged to a young lady. 

But Jack refused to open the door just yet. He knows not to trust the sound of a voice. 

He spoke up again, only less harsh this time. 

“What do you want?” 

There was shuffling on the other side for a brief moment, before the reply came. 

The young lady sounded...nervous? 

“Is…. is there a …. Kozmotis Pitchiner here?” 

Jack’s shoulders slumped forward as he lowered his staff. His mouth dropped open in shock. How did she…? 

Jack blinked. His heart was hammering in his chest. 

The voice of the Tsar in his head repeated like a broken record:

** _“She’s coming…” _ **

And now, she’s here. 

But now, praytell…. Who is she? 

Jack couldn’t take his mind’s torment any longer. 

Without thinking, he reached for the door knob and pulled it open, ready to face whatever monstrosity had tricked him. Ready to face what the Tsar had warned him about. 

Ready to face- 

  
  


A young...lady. 

The voice was no trick. 

There indeed stood a pale young woman. 

She was just a few inches taller than him, so she had to look down at him in shock. 

She clutched a basket at her side with a magnificent bouquet of strange flowers Jack had never seen before. Her green dress looked as if it was made of leaves. Her eyes were green, her face long, her nose lengthy… her hair… black and….wavy… 

Jack’s eyes widened in realization. 

The two stood there, unable to move or speak. 

A sudden flapping noise shifted in the house behind Jack. He didn’t bother moving. He knew who it was. 

“Jack? Jack?! Are you okay?” Pitch’s worried voice echoed through the house. His head turned until he found the spirit he was looking for at the door. 

“Jack, I felt your fear spike, what’s going on?” 

Pitch was approaching the door. It wasn’t fully opened. He couldn’t see her with Jack in the way. 

“Jack, who’s there?” Pitch’s voice became darker as he snatched up his axe on his way to the door. 

Jack finally broke eye contact with the girl in front of him to turn to Pitch; the door still askewing the person behind it. 

Pitch faltered, his demeanor changing entirely at the look on Jack’s face. 

Jack was crying. There were tears in his eyes, his face was flushed, and he looked like he had just seen a ghost. 

Pitch blinked, his axe lowering in his hands as he approached the door more cautiously now. 

“Jack, who’s-?” 

“Daddy?” 

Pitch froze. 

That… was not… no…. No it was- 

Jack stepped away from the door as Pitch flung it open. There, the two stood face to face. 

Pitch was quite taller than the girl before him, yet she herself was quite tall for a young lady. Their jet-black hair matched, and Jack would even say the two had such similar faces… 

Golden eyes met green, and the world stood still. 

Nobody breathed. 

The lady’s black hair was wavy, undeniably ** _ hers. _ ** Except it reached all the way to the ground… it’s length was something to behold… 

Tears filled her eyes as she took in the man before her, a little uncertain. 

“..D-daddy?” 

She tried again, her voice cracking. 

Jack and the lady nearly jumped out of their skin as the axe Pitch had held now buried itself into the wood floorboards of the large cabin. 

Pitch said nothing, his face of shock and pain, as he reached out with both hands to the pale face of the woman before him. 

Did he dare speak her name? 

Did he dare touch her face? 

Or would the illusion shatter… all over again? 

Large palms met warm, pink cheeks… and the woman was still there. This was no illusion. 

“..S….Seraphina?” 

The flood gates went loose as the girl’s lips trembled. Tears spilled over, wettening Pitch’s thin, shaking fingers. 

“Daddy…it’s really.. It's really you, isn’t it?” 

The two broke. 

They clashed into a tight embrace as they collapsed to the patio floor, sobbing. 

_ “Seraphina… Sera-Seraphina…!”  _

_ “…Daddy…!”  _

Jack had dropped his staff, and was now leaning heavily on the doorframe. His hands were covering his mouth, and his eyes were pouring out tears. 

He couldn’t believe this. No way. 

Pitch’s daughter is here. She’s  ** _alive. _ **

He wanted to pinch himself to wake up from this magnificent yet cruel dream. 

He wanted Pitch’s suffering to end. 

But Seraphina was still there, encased in her father’s trembling arms.

This was real. 

Pitch sobbed as the two rocked back and forth, comforting each other in their embrace. 

_ “How? How are you alive? Where have you b-been?” _ He asked through shaky breaths. 

Seraphina could not answer, her throat held a painful knot that prevented her from speaking. 

She shook her head, tears falling to the ground, only for tiny white bell flowers to sprout in their place. 

It seemed as though a long while had passed as all three sat there, pouring out their pain to the universe. It wasn’t until the crying ebbed that Pitch’s vice-grip on his daughter finally relaxed, and he was able to pull back to view her once more. 

He shuddered at the sight of her. 

“You’ve… you’ve grown up, Sera…. You look… you look so much like your mother.” 

Seraphina smiled, laughing sadly. 

“Mother used to tell me I rather looked like _ you _ .” 

The two laughed, until Pitch’s eyes widened. 

“Your...your mother, is she..?” 

Seraphina felt an old pain spike in her heart as she shook her head. 

“She’s gone. Long gone.” 

There was silence between them; Jack watching the two with such awe and wonder. 

“If it weren’t for her… I wouldn’t be here.” 

Pitch looked worried. “What do you mean?” 

Seraphina brought up her arm to wipe her tears. “She sacrificed herself so I could escape the shadows back then. I was… I was very young. It wasn’t long after we separated from you it happened…” 

A sad look crossed Pitch’s features. Yet the man still couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride for having courted a woman who would protect her young so valiantly. 

She was more a Golden Warrior than he ever was. 

“Sera, please.. What happened?” Pitch asked, his tone desperate for answers. 

Before she could speak, Jack interrupted from behind them. 

“Um, hey- you… you two maybe wanna come inside? We’ve got some chairs that are much more comfortable than the ground.” 

The father and daughter looked to Jack in surprise, nearly forgetting he was there.

Seraphina seemed to smile, albeit still confused as to who the frost spirit was. 

“Yeah. Yeah that… that sounds nice.” 

~~~~ 

A few minutes later, and the three had gathered in the living room, cups of warm tea in hand. 

Seraphina sipped it awkwardly. That frost spirit was sitting in a chair between her and Pitch. But Pitch was far too focused on her to introduce the young lad, so she’d decide to ask a little later. 

Pitch cleared his throat after he gulped his scalding tea down. 

“So… Sera… I ….. Please. Tell me. Tell me everything.” 

Sera looked to the ceiling, chuckling at the exhaustion she felt. “Oh stars… where do I even begin?” 

Pitch bit his lip as he thought gravely to the very moment he had lost her. 

“From the very beginning…the moment I…. the moment I lost you.” 

Seraphina looked to her father. 

He didn’t look much older than he did back then. His robes were dark, yet still held the glorious gold patterns of their people on the edges. His complexion was strange… as if it had been tainted by the shadows themselves. But this man was still undeniably her father. The man she’s always known and loved. 

“The beginning…” Sera repeated, contemplating her words. 

“Well… when… when we got…. ‘separated’, I was evacuated. Mother was our ship’s guard, but…. It was attacked.” 

Pitch breathed in, tense. 

“I was shoved into an escape pod.. The last I saw of her, she was fighting the shadows so I could escape.” 

Seraphina sniffled as she looked away from her father. 

“The ship…as my pod soared away… the ship… it.. It was completely consumed. Not a trace of anyone left. I was alone.” 

Pitch’s eyes stung, mortified his girl had to witness such terror so young. 

The young lady shook her head, long flowing locks waving with her movement. 

“Afterwards, I….. I simply floated through space, unsure of where to take refuge.” 

She fiddled with her cup before continuing. “I thought of going back home. Back to… back to you, but…” 

...I saw what you had become.” 

Pitch inhaled fast, the sound like a nervous snake fighting for it’s life. 

Overwhelming guilt sagged on his shoulders, and rocks weighed down his gut. The screams and visions he had witnessed so long ago may as well have all been real. 

“But I…. I thought that… maybe… at the sight of your sword again, you’d…” 

Seraphina looked to her side, where the basket of flowers still sat, as fresh as they were an hour before. 

Pitch spoke up, eager to tell her he received her ‘message’. 

“I saw it, Seraphina. I saw the sword. I saw the flowers…” His voice cracked near the end of his statement. 

His daughter looked up to him in shock, not expecting him to have seen it. 

“My brave, brave girl. I got your message. Your final gift to me. The flowers… the most beautiful ones from your garden… you did that for me… and I…. I swear on my life I fought the shadows like never before in that moment.” 

Jack looked to Sera, and nodded in agreement, confirming the story to be true. 

“I hid the sword away, so I… so I wouldn’t find it.” 

Jack cleared his throat, looking to Pitch gravely.  _ “So the Nightmare King wouldn’t find it.” _ He corrected. Pitch gave Jack a sad, tired look, but refused to argue. 

Seraphina looked to Jack, and then back to her father. 

“I knew, father. I knew you were still in there somewhere. I knew you weren’t actually the Nightmare King.” 

To hear those words from his own daughter really clicked a piece of Pitch’s soul back into place. To hear her say it so determined, as though she had given it no thought and simply knew from the start…. 

Pitch bit his lip, a wave of tears threatened to fall once more. 

Seraphina continued, seeing her father’s distress. 

“You… you found the sword then. And put it away?” 

Pitch nodded, unable to speak. 

“From what I can tell, the shadows… they’re not here. I can only assume you defeated them after all.” 

Jack nodded, answering in Pitch’s stead. 

“Yes, he did. He had some help, but… it’s… it’s a long story.” 

Seraphina seemed to smile at the frost spirit, noting Pitch had a long side of his story he had yet to tell too. 

“Well…. After…. After that, I had a little hope that’d you’d see it and come back to me. Come find me. But you never did….” 

Pitch clenched his tea cup harshly, wishing for it to shatter in his hands. 

“I didn’t know what to do after that. But… I was found by the constellation god Typhan.” 

Pitch’s eyes widened in shock. 

“Typhan? The blind god of solar wind?! You were found by a GOD?!” 

Seraphina smiled, knowing how ludicrous her story sounded. 

“Yeah, it’s quite unbelievable, is it not? But I speak the truth when I say he found me, daddy. He found me and took care of me.” 

Jack’s eyes were just as wide. He could not believe what he was hearing. He had learned quite a bit of the Lunar Alphabet of Pitch’s people over the years of their relationship, and had even caught on to quite a bit of their history as well. 

Pitch himself had told him of the gods, but admitted he was uncertain of their existence for a long time. Even when he gained his golden light, he had feared the gods had made a mistake, or perhaps there really was none to control the likes of who was accepted by the light. 

To hear the gods were alive and real, and to hear one adopted his daughter no less. As a fellow spirit akin to a demigod, he found a whole new respect and gratitude towards them. 

“I was found by Typhan. He took me in. He was so kind to me, dad. It was as if he treated me like his own. Like we were… a family.” 

Seraphina opened her palm, and sparks of light sprinkled about, until green grass sprouted from her palm. 

Jack and Pitch gasped in amazement, astonished at the girl’s ability. 

“He taught me the ways of the weather, and granted me abilities beyond my comprehension.” 

The wind picked up outside, as if to demonstrate her profound control. 

“I stayed with him for a long while. It was… nice, but…” 

The grass receded, and she looked to the floorboards with such sadness. 

“I betrayed him.” 

“What?” Pitch asked, leaning forward in his chair. 

“I… I’m not supposed to use my abilities for harm. There was... “ 

Seraphina paused for a moment, guilt ridden and uncomfortable for having to tell this part of the story. 

“A ship. A Golden Warrior ship came to pass by, but I… I thought it might have been…” 

The young lady glanced up to meet her father’s eyes. Her green orbs were skewed from the tear-drops filling into her eyes. 

She turned away, and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. 

“I just… when I found it wasn’t… you… I got… I got angry.” 

“I was angry at the shadows, angry at myself, angry that…. That you might have...forgotten me.” 

Pitch shook his head, wanting to assure it that was far from the case- 

“I destroyed it. I destroyed the ship, dad.” 

Jack held is breath at her confession. To know this girl was capable of such an act… 

“I swear I didn’t mean to, but when I saw it, I just… I repressed my trauma of the past for so long, and when I saw the Golden Ship, a reminder of everything I had lost…” 

A beat, and then she continued. 

“I lost control. I couldn’t stop my powers. I destroyed the ship with my rage and sorrow. I killed whoever was on board…” 

Seraphina’s hands shot up to her face, hiding as she released a sob. 

Her voice continued, muffled and pain-ridden. 

“I killed them, and Typhan… he banished me, he was so upset. I wasn’t supposed to ever use my powers for harm. I was to stand as a demigod beside him, but I… I clearly wasn’t ready for that responsibility.” 

Her hands fell to her lap as she continued. “I’m a disgrace. I had no choice but to leave. I latched onto comets, just wandering planet to planet. Not caring where I was going. I was so lost for so long. I was so bitter, and so alone…” 

Pitch had to hold himself back from launching himself at his daughter. He wanted to comfort her. To tell her it wasn’t her fault… 

“I heard the rumors about the Nightmare King. About what he was doing. I saw the remnants of planets he had crossed ...civilizations he had decimated... “ 

Pitch’s eye twitched. The whirl of emotions he felt in that moment was too much to bear. 

“I could have stood up to him, dad. I could have...I could have maybe stopped you…” 

_ “Or I could have  _ ** _killed_ ** _ you,”  _ Pitch interrupted, his tone grave and wet. 

Seraphina shook her head, her tears finally falling once more. 

“I just… I was a coward. I couldn’t face you, I couldn’t even face myself after who I had become. I’m not the innocent young girl you knew me as, and you weren’t the kind and caring father I had always-” 

The wind outside picked up, rattling the windows. 

Seraphina choked on her words, lifting the cup she had set aside to drink the last of the tea. 

“So I just continued to wander. It was hundreds of thousands of years, and my body would no longer age. It must have had something to do with the initiation Typhan performed on me…. I don’t know. But I passed from planet to planet searching for a place I could maybe start over… call home.” 

Jack reached up to scratch the back of his neck. This story was so intense, so harsh… To think Pitch’s beloved daughter had suffered so… 

“I really couldn’t find one that felt right….” Seraphina said, her tears finally ceasing as she looked down into her empty cup. 

“But… then… not too long ago… I heard a voice.” 

Pitch and Jack looked up, intrigued as to where this was going. 

“It sounded frail and wise, I had never heard it before. I do not understand where it came from.” 

Pitch looked to his daughter with bewilderment… could it be..? 

“The voice…it only said one word… 

** _“Earth.”” _ **

Jack and Pitch looked at each other, eyes wide. 

“I didn’t know what to think of this voice. But… it was the only thing that really grounded me. The only goal I had in my lost life. So I searched for this “Earth”. And…. sooner or later… I ended up here.” 

Seraphina looked to her father, happier than she had ever been. 

“The greenery was beautiful here. The wind was fun. I felt… in my element the second I had arrived. I wandered the world for the past few days, exploring and searching… until I came across some spirits. I conversed with them, but they seemed confused. They thought I was a “Fae” like them, and that I should have known more information about the Earth from my time spent here. 

But I think they realized my powers, however similar, were indeed of alien origin.” 

Seraphina took a breath. 

“They gave me info on other spirits alike me here. They told me of a fuzzy spirit that loves a season called “Spring,” and a “Winter” spirit that likes to cause trouble.” 

Jack smirked at his reputation, and at the mention of Bunny. The Guardians would not believe this. Maybe… seeing Pitch interact with his daughter… would really warp their minds on who he truly was. 

“Eventually, they mentioned the “Boogieman” and his valiant fight with the shadows. I asked for his name, and they said ‘Pitch Black’. My heart beat so fast when I heard it… I thought… I thought for sure…” 

Seraphina smiled. 

“And so… I searched the wind, and….I ended up in this place. 

_ And here you are…”  _

Pitch smiled. Genuine, happy, and mixed with sadness. His daughter had grown up without him. 

But from the sound of it, she, and him, could still use a lot of work. 

~~~

It was Pitch’s turn to tell his side of the story. 

It was long and painful, but his daughter toughened her pain out, and so would he. 

Jack long since placed Seraphina’s unique bouquet of flowers in a lovely old silver vase Pitch had lying around in a cabinet somewhere. 

The flowers were bright pastel colors, with twisting petals and large bells. Jack wondered if a “language of flowers” ever existed on their planet. He’ll have to ask Pitch later. 

Pitch’s story seemed to shatter Seraphina’s heart, only to build it right back up again. 

He told her about the Guardians, about Augus, about the Nain Rouge, about Gywn, and he told her about Jack, and how this little frost spirit changed his life forever. 

Seraphina blinked and looked to Jack. 

He was a little uncomfortable under her gaze, as if being judged as worthy to stand by her father’s side. Something in Seraphina’s eyes relaxed, and she smirked, giving her father a judgemental look. 

“Geeze, dad. I didn’t know you liked them young and spunky.” 

A heavy blush settled on Pitch’s features, clearly embarrassed about the situation. 

“I don’t have a type, Sera. Please do not spread slander about me…” 

The two seemed to laugh at their mutual teasing until Seraphina blinked and gave Jack a smile. 

“After everything he did for you… and the fact that he has made you so happy and given your life direction… as long as he makes you happy, then… I am happy.” 

Jack was let out a sigh of relief to know Seraphina was so understanding about their relationship. But then he felt a shiver down his spine at the glare Seraphina suddenly directed to him. 

_ “But know this, Mr. Frost. I will long since burn in the pit of a star until I ever call you “Daddy Number 2”.”  _

Pitch’s eyes went wide and he spit out his tea. 

Jack couldn’t help it, he let out bursts of hysterical, embarrassed laughter. Pitch’s daughter was hilarious. Her sense of humor was on par with his. It was perfect. 

“SERAPHINA!” Pitch scolded, his face bright red. 

The girl in question spit out her tongue to the both of them, and sipped her refilled tea, her eyes smiling from behind the cup’s porcelain ridge. 

The low frown on Pitch’s face lingered as his flushed face seemed to recover.

“You’ve changed so much, and yet so little, you little nova.” 

Seraphina’s fake pout fell from her face as she chuckled, agreeing with him. 

“You haven’t changed much either, daddy.” 

Once, that last affectionate call would destroy him if he heard it. But now…. 

Seraphina’s eyebrows knit together as she pondered, deep in thought. 

“Dad… you said… your sword..? Something happened to your sword? It needed...to be changed?” 

Jack gulped, knowing where this was going. 

Pitch had long since accepted the axe for its ability and prowess. But a part of him still deeply missed the sword, and to show his own daughter what became of that very symbol that held such meaning between the two of them now… 

Pitch sighed, his breathing unsteady. He stood from his chair and made his way over to the axe that he had yet to pull from the floor when he dropped it a few hours ago. 

With his great strength, he yanked it upward and into his arms, and made his way over to his daughter, holding it out to present to her. 

Her green eyes were wide with shock and confusion, and hesitantly, she took the axe in her hands. Her fingers traced the etched wording, the sharp blades on either side; observing it’s shine from the light filtering through the window. 

She could not find it in herself to speak, so Pitch did for her. 

“The sword… it wouldn’t be enough to defeat the shadows. Jack… Jack carried the sword on his back up a treacherous mountain to a smith that could reshape it. If he hadn’t done it… I may not even be here.” 

Pitch didn’t know what to expect. Tears? Disappointment? Frustration? Anger? 

But what he got was heavy laughter. 

Jack and Pitch looked to Seraphina, absolutely baffled. She was laughing. Not a hint of anger or disappointment to be seen. 

“What- what’s so funny?” Pitch inquired, shocked his daughter would react in such a way. 

Seraphina wiped a tear from her eye from laughing so hard. 

“Oh, oh- it’s nothing, it’s just.. It’s so funny to see you like this, Dad. You’ve become a retired old woodsman who spends his days as a lumberjack, making googly eyes at a young frost spirit while you’re at it.” 

Pitch wanted to face palm, but something was wrong with him. All he could do was fall to his knees and wrap his arms around his treasured daughter as he smiled from ear to ear. 

~~~

Epilogue 

The Guardians’ mouths hung open at the news. North and Tooth welcomed Seraphina with warm hugs and plenty of sweet treats. The girl was quite delighted to finally meet the acclaimed “fuzzy spirit of Spring”, and Bunnymund undeniably was shocked to come to terms with Pitch’s daughter wielding powers akin to him. 

She was powerful, but ever so kind. Seeing her father again must have really healed a part of her soul buried deep within her. 

The one Guardian she got along with the most however, was the Sandman. The small man did not speak, yet Seraphina felt as though she could understand him completely. She would talk, and he would listen. He would “talk”, and she would listen. And sometimes they would simply sit upon his golden cloud, silently staring up at the stars. 

Pitch was jealous. He wouldn’t admit it, but Jack saw right through his attempts to cover it up. 

Could you really blame the man, though? His daughter had befriended the Nightmare King’s oldest rival after all. 

Pitch and Sandman were now allies of course, but to say they got along was far from correct. 

Seeing them glare at each other, silently fighting over Seraphina’s time made Jack go into a giggle fit each time without fail. 

On the other hand, a small part of Pitch was happy she made such good friends with the Guardians. Not only did she regain her lost father, but she made friends as well. The Earth truly was her home now. 

Gywn and the rest of the Fae court flooded Pitch and Seraphina with questions. How she got there, where she’d been, the enigma that was her seasonal powers. 

They found her so impressive in fact that Gywn offered her a fae status if she’d wish it. 

Seraphina decided to think on it; overwhelmed by the new changes and new people in her life. 

But she was delighted to know there were people like her, and so pleased to know how charming and welcoming their community was. Well, at least to her and her father after all. 

Her relationship with Jack was one they were still trying to figure out. 

Sometimes they acted like siblings. Other times Jack was almost like an uncle to her. She had long since accepted Jack and her father’s relationship, but the two still struggled to find middle ground from where they stood in their little family. 

Whatever the case, Seraphina still saw Jack as family. Even if she didn’t know exactly which part of it yet. 

Pitch had offered Seraphina a place to stay, but she refused a permanent room much to her father’s sad confusion. 

Like Jack, she too felt the need to be free. To explore the world around her, to be her own person. It was another cold reminder that Pitch had missed out on a good chunk of his daughter’s life. You turn your back, and they grow up before you know it. 

She stayed close, though. She even explored Jack’s lighthouse. She liked the idea of a treehouse and wished to make one herself. 

Pitch and Jack would find her though, every once and awhile, crying alone somewhere when the wind and rain seemed at its wildest. Her powers would cause outages and vehicle accidents. Sometimes she often found herself getting angry for no reason. 

North had deducted she had some bipolar disorder that needed tending to. 

All those years spent alone in space with pent up aggression and regret was not something you could simply run away from. 

But with her father by her side, and so many others that held her in their arms… the rain would turn to sparkling snowflakes, and the mud would sprout fields of daisies. The pain she and her father shared brought them closer, and, in a way… made up for the lost time between them. 

Even with all her powers, she felt like she still had so much to learn, especially from Jack. How he glided on ice, how he twirled in the air.. How a single snowball could make her forget all her woes for the rest of the day as she played with him. 

The days where the sun shone the brightest, were when fresh snow-fall covered the ground. The Boogieman would be rudely interrupted from reading his book, rocking away on his chair on the wooden porch by a snowball directly to his face. The giggling fools that dared challenge him would soon be in for it, and they knew just as much. 

One could say they were playing with fire, but ironically the weapons in their hands were fluffy white opposites of that very element. 

And the days where the sun shone the brightest, always had the most glorious of sunsets. 

Twilight would settle upon the land, and the three would be placed in their snow-angel imprints in the cold, fluffy snowfields. 

Three pairs of eyes would gaze at the stars as darkness blankets the sky… 

And three single souls lay tranquil under the universe’s gentle embrace. 

End 

~ 


End file.
